The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-27
SOUTHERN CANDIDATES
For the Vacancy on the Supreme
Bench,
Fronl the Ctnctnnati Enq,tirer

From the Cincinnati Enquirer
WASHINGTON, May 25-I made inqui-
ries in an official quarter about the
persons in the Southern States who are
named for Judge Woods place on the Su-
preme bench.
Said my informant: THAT place ought to
go to Randolph Tucker, of Virginia, or
Senator Morgan, of Alabama. Morgan is
close student, man of legal mind, and
he would crafty the South and be a good
Judge"
What is the matter with Pugh!"
He is a substantial man, too, not as
much of a student as Morgan, and not
always as careful of his habits; but he would
make a good Judge. Tucker. however. is
expected by the Virginia element He has
had very little to do with politics in his life.
His politics has been purely incidental,
while he has practiced law with assiduity
and ambition He is g. years old, and that
is said to be to his prejudice at the White
House. The only man in Virginia mentioned
in comparison with him is Mr.. Robinson,
of Charlottesville who has been at the bar
long time, and in cases of the largest class
which pertain to the South. There are no
other men in Virginia being discussed"
OTHER AVAILABLE soUTHERNERs.
"Are there no good lawyers in the Caro-
linasln
Formerly there were some men at the
Charleston bar of high reputation. At
present | can think of nobody particularly.
In North Carolina is Judge Merriman, once
in the United States Senate, but there is no
one else there liable to be selected In Geor-
gia there is a little talk about Mr.. Ham
| mond Not improbably the President will
put upon the Supreme bench the Judge he
made i'll Tennessee, Howell jackson. He is
| a fair man, a good lawyer, and it is perhaps
| the safest selection that could be made.
Randolph Tucker would be the most bril-
| liant selection and give more social and his
torical satisfaction to Virginia than any
other man. The circuit does not embrace
| States like Kentucky and Missouri and if
| Cleveland should take man from anywhere
but the South proper at this time it would
make a huge Indignation. Some think he
would like to reward some New York man.
| but | do not believe he would dare do it..
| Senator George of Mississippi, is a good man,
| though he may not be considered in the light
| of a Justice by all persons. | am told
| that i'll New Orleans there are two or three
! strong men. One of them is named Semmes,
who came from Maryland, and is of the same
general family as Raphael Semmes, of Ala
balna. Another is a man with an unpro-
| nounceable name, who was associated in the
law business with Judah p. Benjamin. 1t is
| contended in some quarters that man who
goes on the Supreme bench ought to have a
| wide range of practice such as a city like
New Orleans only affords in the South
There is nobody in Texas being mentioned
for the place"
POPULAR ERROR.
I mentioned to another person close to the
| Supreme Court the present condition of that
bench and the change now about to be COM
menced in its constitution.
Said he: There is a popular idea that the
law allowing judges to retire at the age OF
70 means that they must retire, and there
is a certain pressure to get them out when
they attain that age. The law was not de-
signed to make any man with good head
on his shoulders and good faculties leave his
situation. There is Justice Bradley; he has
had such experiences in all cases of patent
law that it gives him no labor to look through
u case of that kind when it comes before
him for adjudication. If you were to retire
him from the Supreme bench he would
probably die in a year. He has become at
home in that place, and there he ought to
stay as long as Providence lets him. The
same is the case with Judge Miller, who is
probably the ablest man on the bench He
likes the work, and takes up his cases with
healthfulnesS which insures his living.
Judge Field is 70 years of age, but he re
tains all his powers, and you could find nc
man IN the country to be substituted foi
any Of those Judges l have mentioned and
FIJI the bill"
IAN OPINION OF JUDGE WOODS.
"What kind of man was Judge
| Woodsg'
Woods went through his work without
attracting attention either in hostility OF
much encomium. He was hardly the sort
of man to have selected for the degree OF
causes which come before the Supreme
bench. He probably felt some modesty in
that regard, and, therefore, got through &c
the time of his death in the quietest way.
Grant made him a Circuit Judge, which
was promotion enough. Hayes
took the Ohio view of his OBJ
portunity, and appointed Judge Woods as
from Newark He has consequently never
been regarded in the South as an exponent
of that section. Harlan, coming from Ken.
lucky, disbars that State from getting this
place. which Woods has left vacant
"May not the President pick Judge
from Southern Indiana contiguous to the
South---some such man as Mcdonald or
Niblackln
well, il he should do that you will see
the finest racket ever yet raised in the
Southern States"
The Killing OF Gambrell